Automatic explosive mechanism



xNvENToR B. RANZAN AUTOMATIC E XPLOSIVE MECHANISM Filed Sept. 19, 1927 Oct.

Patented @et 23, 1928.

i; ai 't n STATES masas@ BRIS RANZAN, F NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC EXPLOSIVE MECHANISM.

Application filed September 19, 1927. Serial Nav-220,518.

This invention relates to a device for exploding an explosiveV charge and has for one of its objects the provision of trigger mechanism adapted to be employed on the rail of a railway for exploding a charge when a train passes thereover.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a clock operated trigger mechanism adapted to explode a charge at a predetermined time.

A further object of my invention is the provision of safetyrmechanism on an explosive device for rendering the actuationv thereof impossible until after manipulation of external adjusting mechanism. Y

A still further object of my invention is the provision of means for exploding a charge including trigger mechanism adapted to be employed on a railway rail, and an automatically operated safety device adapted to engage said exploding mechanism for rendering the same operative for a predetermined length of time after the first train passes over the trigger mechanism for giving. a signal in the event that two trains pass over 'the same portion of the rail in an undesirably close sequence.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter, the novel features and combinations being more clearly set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawinv: y Y

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view partly in'section, of a rail and rail bed equipped with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of my invention. Y

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified form of my invention.

In the accompanying drawing, desig-` nates a railway bed having ties 11 mounted thereon and rail ends 12 mounted on the ties in the customary manner. of the rail ends are spaced apart providing sufficient space forexpansion and for a further purpose, hereinafter more clearly `set forth. As shown in Fig. 1, a rectangular casing 13 is disposed below the surface of the rail bed and is provided with 'a slidably guided rod 14, disposed through an aperture in the casing 13 at one extremity and extending through the space between the rail The extremities.

the rails at. the other end.

It will be seen in Fig'. 2 that the casing 13 l lcomprises a left and right hand compartment land 16, respectively, separated by. a partition 1.7. rlhe right hand compartment 1,6 is adapted to receive a container 13 filled with an explosive substance.' The casing 13 is open' at` its right hand extremity and is adapted to be closed bythe end 19` of the container 18. A tubular member. 2O is made integral with the left hand end 21 of the' container, 2O communicating at one extremity with an aperture 22 in the end 21 and being provided with an inwardly disposed flangel 23 on the other end. The tubular member 2O is adapted to hold ya car-vy tridge 24 in position-to be exploded.

A guide member 25 is mounted on the partition 17 of theleft hand chamber 15 and extends into the latter. A firing pin 26 is disposed through an aperture in the partition 1T and extendsE at its pointed end into the tubular memberv 20. The iiringpin 26 is slidably mounted in the aperture of the partition 17 and is provided with a spring 27 disposed within'the tubular member 20 between the partitionfl? and a iange 28ion the pin 26. The left hand -`extremity of the firing pin 26 is provided with a notched extension 29 which is adapted to engage withy the notched extremity 30-of'a lever 31 pivotallyl mounted on a pin 32 secured at its ends to the sides of the casing 13. -A spring33 is attached at one extremity to a bracket 34 mounted on the top wall of casing 13 and is attached at its other extremity to the lever 31. notched extremity 30 ofthe lever 31"down Wardly into engagement' with the `notched extension 29 of the firing pin 26.

`The lower end of the rod 14 extendsy through the top wall of the casing 13 and terminates above the lever 31. The lever 3l is provided with guide rods'36 about which the spring 37 is slidably mounted. The lower extremity of the rod 14 is provided with a plunger 38 which 'is adapted to rest upon the spring 37. A shaft 39 is rotatively mounted in the side of the casing and is positioned so that its circumference is-in contactk with the upper edge of the notched extremity 30 of the lever 31.` The shaft 39 is provided with a notch 40 into which the The spring 33 is adapted to urge the.

while the notch is in registration with the end portion of the lever 3l the firing pin will be released as above described but if a second train does not pass over the rail ends l2 within the predetermined period during which the notch i0 is in registration with the lever 3l then the passage of the second train over the end of the rod la will merely result in the recurrence of the cycle described.

It should be understood that the timing ofv mechanism adapted to retain said firing pin in a retracted position, a spring mounted in said casing for urging said firing pin, and actuating mechanism for said trigger mechanisin comprising an alarm clock adapted to actuate the saine at a predetermined time for releasing .said trigger mechanism to discharge said bomb. A l

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair of adjacent rail ends positioned in spaced relation, ofa iod slidably mounted between said rail ,ends and extending thereabove at one end, a casing disposed below said rail ends in the bed of said rails, having an aperturein the upper wall thereof for slidably y accommodating the lower portion of said rod,'a partition in said.

casing dividing the same into right and left compartments, a bomb disposed in said right compartment comprising an explosive filled container, a tubular' member mounted on one wall of said container comprising a flanged extremity, a cartridge mounted in said flanged extremity and a firing pin slidably mounted in said tubular member comprising a pointed extremity. y

3. In a device of the class described, Ja signal device comprising a casing adapted to be disposed below the surface of a rail bed, a firing pin slidably mounted in said casing, a cartridge mounted in said casing adapted to be engaged by said firing'pin,

an extension on said firing pin comprising a notched end portion, a lever pivotallyV mounted in said casing comprising a notched extremity adapted to engage the notched extremity of said firing pin for retaining the same in a retracted position, a shaft rotatively mounted in said casing having a notched portion in registration with said lever, a worin gear adjustably mounted on said shaft, an electric motor mounted in said casing, a worin on said motor meshed with said worm gear, a switch mounted in said casing for controlling the excitation of said motor, a vertically disposed rod slidably mounted .in an aperture in said casing in registration with said lever, a spring disposed between the end of said rod and said lever adapted to engage said cartridge for firing thesame, an extension on the other endof said firing pin disposed in the left compartment of said casing comprising a notched extremity, a lever comprising a notched extremity pivotally mounted in said container adapted to engage the notched ex` tension of said firing pin for retainingthe latter' in a retracted position,y a spring mounted on Ysaid lever in registration with said'rod adapted to be urged downwardly by said rod for .rotating said lever 'to`release said firing pin, and aspring mounted in said tubular member for urging said firing pin against said cartridge when said firing pin is released to explode said bomb.

4. In a device of the class described, a signal device comprising a casing adapted to be disposedbelow the surface of a rail bed, a firinggpin slidably mounted in said casing, a cartridge mounted in said casing adaptedjto be engaged by said firing pin, an extension on said firing pin comprising a notched end portion, a lever pivotally mounted insaid casing comprising a notched extremity adapted to engage the notchedv extremity of said firing pin for retaining the same in a retracted position, ashaft rotatively mounted in said casing having a notched portion in registration with said lever, a worm gear adjustably mounted on said shaft, an electric motor mounted in said casing, a worm on said motor' meshed with said worm gear, ka switch mounted in said casing for controlling the excitation of said motor, a vertically disposed rod slidably .mounted in anaperature in said casing in registration with said lever, a spring disposed between the end of said rod and said lever adapted to engage said cartridge for firing the same, an extension on the other end of said firing pin disposed *inV the left compartment of the said casing comprising a notched extremity, a lever comprising a notched extremity pivotally mounted in said container adapted to engage the notched extension of said firing pin for retaining the .latter in a retracted position,l a spring mounted on said lever in registration with said rod adapted to be urged downwardly by said rod for rotating said lever to release 'i Vsaid firing pin, a spring mounted in said tubular member for urging said firing pin against said cartridge when said firing pin is released *l to explode said bomb, and a safety mechanisinfor restraining rotation of said lever comprising a shaft rotatively mounted in said' casing having a notched portion therein adapted to be positioned in closing an elefftric circuit therethrough When said rodis depressed for rotating said gear to disengage said pin from said contact member7 said Contact member being adapted to elose the circuit through said switch when disengaged from said pin for effecting rotation lof said shaft to position the notch thereof in registration ,with said lever to render said lever free to be rotated when said rod is again depressed to release said firing pin.

5. In a signal device of the class de-4 scribed, a' casing, a firing pin slidably mounted in said easing, means for retaining said firing pin in retrasted position comprising a pivot/ally mounted lever operatively conneeted at one end with said firing pin, a shaft having a notch therein mounted in said casing adapted When in one position to retain engagement between said lever and said firing pin, driving means for rotating said shaft to position said notch in registration with said lever to permitdisengagement of said firing pin therefrom and a trigger operatively connected with said lever adapted upon first depression to actuate said driving means and upon second depression Within a predetermined'period thereafter to aotuate said lever Yfor releasing said firing pin.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

BORIS RANZAN. 

